Unfinished Business
by Goldenscar
Summary: Sequel to The Journey's Start and Old Enemies. Please R and R! Sade River, Karissa Norman, and Jack Sparrow are in for yet another adventure! Where will Sade's prophecy lead them this time? Told from Jack's pov.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Thanks for reading. Before you start, I'd like to say that it's impossible to understand this story without reading the first or second in the series, so please, either read The Journey's Start, the first, or Old Enemies, the second, before continuing. Thank you! PLEASE R AND R! **Chapter One

Fathers

When I first saw her, I have to say I didn't think much.

At the time, I was surrounded by stunning girls. Absolutely stunning. Tiny waists, huge chests, shiny hair, silky skin, wearing revealing clothes… that sort of thing. She had hurried over, and seemed breathless and annoyed.

"Excuse me," she had said. She was mildly pretty- blonde hair, nice figure. Nothing special.

But I had felt this urge inside me. A tug, as if fate had given me a warning. This girl was going to change my life forever.

She had asked to speak to me in private and pulled me into one of Tortuga's spare bedrooms. The details escape me: I'm pretty sure I tried to talk dirty and she ignored me. Her name, I soon learned, was Sade River. No, Captain Sade River, for she was the captain of the _Ocean Song_, the most durable ship in the Caribbean. She had been kidnapped by Hector Barbossa and escaped- there were only a select few who hadn't heard of her.

I lured her onto my ship. That was the easy part- she wanted my compass. And she wanted it bad.

Sade was the object of a prophesy, having to do with killing Davy Jones. I remember very clearly our first fight, in which she had leapt down at me from the ship's crow's nest. I could have stepped aside easily, but I caught her. She would have been dead then if it hadn't been for me.

And yet every time I court her, she refuses me. I realize I've been a playboy, a womanizer, all that, but I wish more than anything that she could put the past behind her and focus on the present. I'm here. So's she. Pretty simple, if you ask me.

"Jack!"

A rough male voice startled me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Sade's father, his eyes narrowed warily.

"What?" I asked innocently. And I was innocent, too- strolling on the deck of the _Ocean Pearl_ with Karissa Norman, Sade's first mate. We had been discussing everything that had happened recently; Barbossa's arrival, Sade's parents' arrival, Beckett's death, Sade's attempted suicide. It all gave me the shudders.

"Karissa, excuse us for a second," muttered Mr. River, roughly pushing her away. She glared at the man, outraged, then turned to run to her captain, Sade, who was steering and talking to Gibbs.

"I know you want to make a move on my daughter," Mr. River hissed at me.

I smirked. This was going to be fun.

"Maybe I already have," I said vaguely, inspecting my fingernails. "Maybe she likes it."

She didn't, of course. My moves had never been successful. But playing around with her father is fun.

Mr. River's eyes bulged as he leaned towards me. "What have you done with her?" he snarled.

Oh, my. This was fun. "Let's just say…" I paused for dramatic effect, "Her pride in being a virgin is not in effect anymore."

Maybe I had gone too far. Sade's father was muscular, a strong, imposing man, and he obviously cared more for his daughter than she did for herself.

He took a punch at me. I ducked and ran, passing the steering wheel, where Sade, Karissa, and Gibbs looked up, surprised.

"Oi! Jack!" Gibbs looked rather confused.

"Jack?" Sade's face twisted into an expression of doubt.

"Your bloody father," I heard Karissa mutter under her breath to her captain.

I kept running until I reached the captain's cabin, where Sade and I sleep. I raced in and locked the door, panting. Wow. I wondered what would happen if he actually caught us…

Not that we had ever done it before, I thought sadly. Maybe one day.

Sade high-tailed in the door, skidding to a stop and slamming it after her.

"Alright, what's up?" she asked, sinking onto her bed.

"Your father's temper," I responded. "Almost as high as yours."

Sade huffed and grabbed a bit of pineapple. "I really don't think that was necessary, Jack. I might have a bit of a temper, but you should see my father when he's really mad. Like, one time, this boy touched my…" She broke off, embarrassed, and cleared her throat. "Anyway," she continued loudly. "Don't worry, Jack, everything'll work out." She stuffed the fruit in her mouth, then reached instantly for more.

"I made him really angry," I added, dancing on the borderline of telling her what I'd said. "Really, really, really…"

She tossed her lion's mane of blonde hair. "What did you tell him?"

"Love, tell is too strong of a word. More like, shall we say, suggest, some concepts of adult themes…" I let my voice trail off, pleased with the affect it had had.

"Jack," she muttered warningly.

"Adult themes that should, in my humble opinion, become reality…" I let my voice get real low, here, topped with the smirk that made most girls go wild.

Sade, however, did not react the way I expected her to. She rolled her eyes and ignored me, going back to that dried pineapple she loves so much.

I frowned. This was not how this should work. What was supposed to happen was that she gets all worked up and angry, and storms out. She wasn't supposed to totally ignore me!

Oh, well. I pawed through the silence, trying to find something that would charm her, ignite her with anger, and tell her something important at the same time. Finally, I found one.

"How many blondes does it take to win a pirate's heart?" I asked her.

She glanced up and hissed at me. "You know I can't stand blonde jokes, Jack Sparrow."

I ignored her. "Only one," I said, raising my eyebrows. You see, I had been planning that one for a while: it would annoy her, and let her know that she was my one true love and I wouldn't cheat on her.

This had the desired reaction. She stood up, glared at me, and stormed out.

"How many times do we have to go through this?" she shouted to me before leaving. "You're not but a liar and a womanizer!"

And she left- but not before I could admire the swish of her blonde hair as she shut the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone! Please review! It doesn't have to be long, just a word or two to tell me what you thought. PLEASE? Also, I have a suggestion to any POTC fan: lindam2254's series about Will Turner and her OC are the BEST ever! So please, if you get a chance, make sure to check that out. You won't be sorry! Lindam2554 will also be included in the series as Linda, so keep watch for her!

Chapter Two

Jack

When I woke up the next morning, I discovered that I had slept late. It was nine o' clock, and usually, I'm up by seven.

Sade's bed sheets were rumpled. Bad dreams, I guessed. The poor captain had been getting a lot of them lately, and often woke in the middle of the night screaming about Davy Jones. She usually brushed off my reassurances and lay down again, but I knew she was only pretending to sleep.

I yawned and stretched, wondering what had led me to sleep so late. Either way, I figured that I had better get out on the deck right that instant, or my duties as second captain would fall to Gibbs, my first mate.

I hurried to the breakfast table, reserved only for Captain Sade River, Karissa Norman, her first mate, Captain Jack Sparrow (me, of course), and Gibbs, my first mate. All I found was a bit of stale bread and half a glass of lukewarm water, heated from the Caribbean sunrise.

"Jack!" Karissa was striding towards me. "You're late."

"Why didn't you or Sade wake me up?" I asked her.

"Captain's orders." Karissa rolled her dark brown eyes and shoved the bread towards me. "She said you were sleeping when she woke up. Barbossa is taking over your duties. Go tell him you're awake."

"Love, I am your captain. You have no right to give me orders. Anyway, why did you put Hector in charge? I told you Gibbs was supposed to…"

"Because Gibbs has overslept as well," snorted one of my crew members, Justin, who had overheard our conversation while he was preparing some rope nearby.

"Justin, that's not the way I showed you," harped Karissa, leaning over his shoulder.

"I don't care!" he snapped. "It'll do just as fine!"

"No, actually it won't!" Karissa snatched the rope out of his hands. While they were squabbling, I managed to sneak away to find Barbossa.

"Oh, hi Jack." Indira was one of Sade's crew members. She was the most beautiful out of the lot of them, but she seemed to have taken a dislike to me for some reason. Right then, she gave me a quick look of distrust and tossed her long, dark, soft hair. "The Cap'n is at the wheel, if you're wondering. Also, Pasquale would like me to inform you that you owe him some gold. He didn't look to happy. I'd avoid him, if _I _were you." She made a face at this thought, like, _And God forbid that ever happens._

"I'm sure I'll get it under control, love, savvy?" I headed to the wheel to speak with Sade, while Indira gave a little, "Humph!" and tossed her hair again.

Sade and Barbossa were by the wheel, conversing quietly and once in a while shaking their heads and tried to explain something to the other.

"Ahoy, mates!" I called loudly. They both jumped about ten feet in the air and turned to stare at me.

Sade put her head in her hands. "Oh my God, Jack… I think my hair is still standing on end. Don't DO that!"

Barbossa reached out a hand to pat Sade's hair, for it was just a bit messy, and then returned to me. "Jack. When will you learn your manners?"

"When you learn yours, Hector," I said, making an elaborate gesture with my arms. Sade and Barbossa rolled their eyes at each other and returned to their conversation.

"And so you can clearly see that the best way to find him is to prove that there's something in it for him. In other words, bribing," Sade explained, tapping her finger on the wheel.

"What will we bribe him with? Calamari?" Barbossa shook his head. "He'll come when he's ready. We can't hurry him along."

They were standing about a foot apart. I squeezed myself into the space. It was time that someone around here took notice of me other than yelling at me.

"I assume you're talking about the one and only Davy Jones," I said loudly, draping an arm around Sade and pounding Barbossa on the back like we were old friends.

"No," said Sade sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "We're talking about Santa Claus. Now, Hector, you know we can't…"

"Now, all in good time, mates," I said cheerfully, smiling at Sade and clapping Hector on the back again. "What say we drop Sade's folks off at the nearest port. Look, there's one over there!"

"That's an island," Sade corrected me, glancing at Barbossa, who shrugged.

"Indeed! What keen eyes you have, Sade! But for all you know, there's a rowboat they can escape on! And what's life without chances, eh?" Another smile directed at Sade, another clap on the back for Hector, who coughed slightly at this.

"Jack Sparrow, have you suggested that I should maroon my parents?" demanded Sade, her hazel eyes ablaze.

"Jackie, can't you just leave us alone?" sighed Barbossa. "Before you came, we were discussing something very important, and now you've got the lass screaming in anger."

"I'm not screaming!" screamed Sade.

"Oh, so I'm a third wheel around here, am I?" I sighed, releasing them. They instantly ignored me again, returning to their conversation.

"We need to use some sort of bait…" Sade was speaking, but I zoned out and went off to find Gibbs.

"Sade!" called Taylor, who was up in the crow's nest. Sade glanced up and I halted.

"What?" she called up crossly. I imagine she was tired of being distracted.

"There's a young woman on that island, Cap'n! Looks Finnish, from a glance, ma'am!" Taylor was an expert on foreign countries. Of course she'd be able to pick out a German from a French from a Danish from a Swedish, and now apparently a Finnish.

Sade pondered for a second. "Okay. Let's rescue her. But keep in mind she could be hostile and armed…" and she proceeded to list items on her fingers while the rest of her crew began getting rowboats ready. "…and if she was marooned, you'd have to wonder why, of course, and…"

"Love, maybe you should be quiet," I told her. Nobody appeared to be listening anymore.

"Fine," she sighed, then shouted out orders. "Hoist the colors! The outcast flag, I mean, not the pirate flag. Prepare the boats! Karissa and I are going aboard!"

"Aye aye, Cap'n!" shouted Karissa earnestly, saluting. Sade rolled her eyes at her best friend's formal behavior.

"Come on! Oh, and Jack, hold down the fort, will you?" she asked.

"But, Sade, it is a gentleman's honor to accompany a lady," I argued, raising my eyebrows and smirking.

Karissa rolled her eyes and muttered to herself as she looked the other way, but Sade bit her lip in thought. "It wouldn't help to have a pirate along, Jack. We don't want to scare her. Besides, who's going to hold down the fort if you're not?"

"Barbossa?" I ventured, referring to the time he had been left in charge, allowed a drunk pirate to take over the ship, and therefore allowed Sade's parents to board the _Ocean Pearl_.

"Another reason to leave you in charge. We need someone partially sane." She spoke calmly, gripping her first mate by the sleeve. "We'll see you later, everyone," she called to the crew. "Jack's in charge. Get some food ready!"

"Aye aye!" the crew shouted. Sade gazed around at them, then smiled at me and ruffled my coat fondly.

"Make sure it's good food. She's obviously been marooned for a couple days," she whispered to me.

Ah! The first form of positive interaction I'd had all day. "Right you are, love," I told her. "The rum, then?"

She rolled her eyes and kicked me lightly (well, I'm sure she meant it to be light- those boots of hers… ouch!) and headed to the boat with Karissa by her side.

The young Finnish woman was yelling and waving her arms about. When she knew she had our attention, she stopped and patiently awaited her rescue. I turned my eyes from the scene and returned to the crew.

"Right! Now Taylor, back on the crow's nest. Barbossa, at the wheel. Justin, you're STILL not doing the rope properly! Oakley, Janet, Hadley, the best quality food, please. You might want to see if Mrs. River's made anything lately."

Mrs. River was famous for her amazing cooking, and she had indeed made some soup. I had a bowl of it in my hands by the time Sade, Karissa, and the Finnish woman were making their way back in the boat.

"Jack… food…" Sade was panting from rowing, and Karissa was beside her. We all knew the tale of Karissa's famous two-day boat trip with no breaks, so this had toughened her up a bit.

I thrust the bowl in the captain's hands, and she handed it to our new crew member, who ate as though she hadn't eaten in weeks… maybe she hadn't.

"My name is Linda," she explained when she finished. She was about to go on, but then looked wistfully at the soup bowl. "Please, may I have more?" she asked Sade and Karissa.

"Of course, of course," said Sade hurriedly, gesturing to Nettle, her most loyal crew member, who nodded and raced off to get more.

"My brother was captain of a ship…" Linda started to explain, when Nettle was back with another bowl.

As Linda tore through this next bowl, I observed her. Definitely Finnish, as far as clothes go. She had dark hair, was tall and slender, and had dark brown eyes that glimmered as she smiled at Sade. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Sade. "Tell me, why were you marooned? You were telling us about your brother."

"Yes, my brother." A look of distaste flashed in Linda's eyes. "Bit of a long story there…"

And she began her tale.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the next one! I would like to thank CriticalPerson and lindam2554 for adding this to their favorites! Thanks for your support!

Chapter Three

Hangover

"Like I said before, my name is Linda." The crew had gathered around, and everyone was immersed in her story, even before she began it. It wasn't every day we rescued someone who was marooned on an island. "I was on my brother's ship. He's a sea captain, you see," she added.

"So… pirate, outcast, working for the government?" Barbossa asked.

She glanced at him, then did a double-take. "Are you…" she breathed. "Are you Hector Barbossa?"

"I suppose we had better introduce ourselves before you go on," Indira reasoned. "You might recognize some of us."

"Ladies first," I told Sade, bowing to her. Truthfully, I wanted to make sure her brother wasn't with the Navy before I divulged my name. Sade understood this, and nodded briefly.

"My name is Captain Sade River," she said, stepping forward to shake hands with the woman. "You might recognize me. I'm the first female captain, and so far the only. If you don't count the short amount of time my first mate took over. Which I don't. Either way, I'm pleased to meet you, and formally welcome you aboard the _Ocean Pearl_."

Aha! Sade was a genius. She had not only kept her speck rather long, giving me time to run if need be, she had told Linda the name of her ship. Which made it only polite for Linda to tell the name of her brother's.

"Of course!" Linda said, smiling and giving Sade a firm handshake. "I've read of you before! The one destined to either defeat Davy Jones or be killed at his hands? And the first female captain? Let me tell you, Miss River, I've dreamed of being in your position for quite some time now!"

"Oh?" Sade asked, keeping the conversation moving. I knew where she was headed. If we could find out more about her past, we could find out what kind of ship her brother captained.

"I grew up rich," Linda explained. "As a rich girl, I was supposed to behave perfectly. Dress perfectly. And I was certainly supposed to admit that men were superior to me!"

Sade winced. "I grew up in the middle class. I was supposed to think that men were superior to me, as well. It's certainly awful, isn't it?"

"Quite," Linda agreed. "Enough to make one go mad. So I learned your tale of freedom- how Barbossa had kidnapped you, and how you had gathered a crew and faced Jones… I tracked your tale in any way I possibly could. At one point, I was so angry that women were looked down upon that I fled the ballroom during a fancy party. I ran to the beach, hoping desperately that a pirate would come and kidnap me. It never happens."

"Never around when you need 'em, always around when you don't," sighed Sade.

"Exactly!" Linda paused to gather her thoughts, then continued. "My brother was older by a couple years, and had joined the Navy."

And that was when I ducked behind Gibbs, and we executed our usual procedure of slowly backing toward the captain's cabin.

"Jack, get back here!" called Sade. What? Did she WANT me to be put in jail? Did she WANT me to get hanged?

Gibbs and I reluctantly crept forward, but I still hid behind him.

"I went along with him on his first mission, a trip to the Caribbean." Linda didn't seem to care what I was doing, so I took that as a good sign. "I was barely allowed to go, and I wasn't allowed to go up on deck because the pirates in this area were particularly brutal."

Sade ruffled my coat proudly. She had been doing that quite a lot lately.

"I argued. One day, I just opened up and let it all out, and told them I thought women were worth as much as men. My brother, trained in the way of rich snobs…" she paused to allow a laugh from the crew, "was shocked and marooned me. And then you found me. The end."

Sade smiled. "That was very brave of you, Linda. You should never keep anything bottled inside. Now, you're among real friends. I take in all females in need of a home. You may stay as long as you like, whether it's forever, or if you want us to go to Port Royal right away."

"Are you kidding?" Linda asked eagerly. "I've always wanted to find myself on this ship! Count me in! If it's okay, of course."

"Linda, it's more than okay. We can always use another crew member." Sade grinned. "And now, we'll introduce ourselves. You already know my name."

"And I'm Captain Jack Sparrow," I told her. "You have learned about how we're both captains, correct?"

She nodded. "I've learned everything, I think," she replied. "There have been rumors that your parents are on the ship though, right, Miss River?"

"Please, call me Sade," she replied. "And yes, they are."

Linda turned back to me. "And of course I've heard of you. You're a legend!"

I smirked, secretly pleased that people as far away as Finland had heard of me, but hid it gracefully. "Thank you. I do pride myself on my fame, you know!"

Sade rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. Karissa, you're next."

Karissa stepped up to Linda. "Hello," she said. "I'm Karissa Norman, Sade's best friend, former neighbor, and, of course, first mate. She and I grew up in the same town, went to the same school, and were about the least popular girls because we didn't concern ourselves with being pretty."

Which I had always thought of as odd. Why should you have to concern yourself with being pretty if you already are? Karissa certainly was, with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Why should she have to put on make-up along with that?

I will never understand girls.

"And I'm Gibbs," said Gibbs.

"I haven't heard of you," said Linda, slightly confused.

"No one has," sighed Gibbs, looking downcast.

"He's my first mate," I explained, patting him on the back. "Cheer up, mate. You do a fine job."

"And I'm Hector Barbossa," Barbossa said. "Pleased to meet you, Miss."

"It's nice to meet you all," said Linda, rather breathlessly. "Just think! Only a couple hours ago, I thought I was going to die on that island. Now, I'm among the best crew in the Caribbean!"

Sade looked pleased at the compliment. "Thank you, Linda. We feminists will show those men one day, don't worry!"

Sade's crew called out in agreement, and my crew just sat there kind of awkwardly. Oh, well. We all knew that she meant well, even if she was excluding us.

No one excludes Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Sade, love, I'll be in our cabin," I told her, knowing it would get her attention. She turned around quickly.

"Oh! Jack, wait. The rum on the table, I'd appreciate it if you used a glass."

"What?" Puzzled, I raised an eyebrow.

"My mother wants us to be civilized, and if that means you drinking from a glass instead of the bottle, that's fine by me. You might cut your lips on the bottle, you know." She turned back to Linda.

Wait. Sade River, worried about table manners and my lips? That wasn't like her. "Sade?" I ventured.

"You heard me," she said. "Glasses are signs of good table etiquette."

I stood there, shocked for a minute, before she burst out laughing. "Oh, Jackie, you know I'm being sarcastic, right? I'm imitating my mother."

Oh. Right. I smirked a little and left the scene of the party. I had to contemplate things.

Sade was right about one thing. There was a bottle of rum on the table… and it looked good. I sat down and put it to my lips, letting the sweet liquid flow over my tongue and disappear into my throat. I wondered what would happen if Sade really did love me.

"No, Jack," I whispered to myself. "You've never felt love before. You can't feel it now. Friendship, at a minimum. Yes, friendship. Friendship, friendship, friendship. With a suggestive comment from me now and then. But it would be nice if she maybe blushed a little when I did that. Yes, that's it. That's it. Savvy? Savvy. Perfectly simple." I was just rambling, and I felt the effects of the alcohol starting to kick in. Perfect. I kept drinking until I heard the dull sound of an empty bottle hit the floor and break, and I felt myself fall onto Sade's bed…

"Jack!"

It was Linda's voice. All I knew was that my head hurt like crazy and I had still not solved my problem.

"Sade sent me to check on you… it's sunset. We're still having a party, if you want to join us." She still sounded delighted with her luck.

"Ugh…" I mumbled. _Oh, real smooth, Jackie. _"I'm here. Where's Sade?"

"Trying to keep her parents off the deck. Are you okay?" she asked, then took a step forward. Her shoe crunched on a stray piece of glass. "Oh… you've been drinking."

"Yes. Yes, I have. Does Mrs. River have a remedy for a hangover?" I asked her.

"I'll go check, Jack. You just stay here. You know, Sade's probably not going to be too happy with you," she added with a smirk.

"When is she ever?" I asked.

"Good point." Linda left, a happy sparkle in her dark brown eyes. I sighed and closed my eyes again. Things were not going well for Captain Jack Sparrow.


	4. Chapter 4

And here's the next chapter! Lindam2254, as always, thanks for your support and review on the story! And, I want to see what others think: PLEASE REVIEW! I do not own POTC, Jack, Gibbs, etc, I only own Sade, her crew, the Ocean Pearl/Song, and the plot. Also, the songs Linda sings are Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri and How you Remind me by Nickleback.

Chapter Three

Green Tea

"Well, I see our friend Jack got drunk again."

Sade crossed her arms as she leaned on the doorway. "My mom made you some tea. I'm expected to help you to my parent's cabin. How, I have no idea. How am I supposed to carry a grown man?!" She threw her hands up, rolling her eyes.

I smirked. "You could just help me, love. No carrying included."

"And just what does help entail?" the female captain asked, glancing at the rum bottle on the floor and then back at me.

"It's simple enough. Hook your arm through mine, support some of my weight, and lead me to your mother." I was concerned about crushing the slim girl under my weight, but decided against telling her this. She'd probably go on one of her rants that no, she can handle it, and spend the whole trip over grumbling to me about how women are so underestimated.

Sade sighed as she strode to the edge of the bed and did as I had instructed her. "You just had to go and get drunk, didn't you? My parents already have a bad enough opinion of you, you just made it worse, you know that?"

"I didn't know that was possible," I said, pretending to be surprised. She rolled her eyes again and led me out of the room.

We staggered below deck, Sade struggling to hold my weight, and I staggering because of my hangover.

Sade knocked on her parents' door, and it was flung open by her mother.

"Sade." She greeted her daughter icily.

"Here." Sade pushed me forward, trying to make it look like she had done it harshly but really was quite gentle. "Your problem now. And it's Captain Sade, to you. Good luck, he's a handful."

And she closed the door with a bang.

So, it was me and Mrs. River.

She was a beautiful woman. It wasn't hard to tell she and Sade were related. She had long, curly red hair, streaked with just a tinge of gray here and there. She was lean and tall, and had stormy gray eyes, unlike her daughter's hazel ones. She regarded me with distaste, before a bit of softness entered her eyes.

"Have a seat."

She gestured to her table. Mr. River wasn't there- he must have been out torturing Karissa again. Barbossa had her back, I figured. We all had to have each other's backs with Mr. River aboard.

I obeyed her command. She took her tea kettle off the stove she had brought, and poured two mugs of green tea. I smiled a little, remembering Karissa's liking for it. Mrs. River turned to see me smiling, and the corners of her mouth tugged. But that soon went away, and she handed me a mug, took one herself, and sat across from me.

"So. Hangover."

"Yes, milady," I responded.

"I imagine they're quite common among… seafarers."

"You can say it, ma'am. Pirates."

She shuddered at the mention of the word. "Yes… those. Do they happen quite often?"

"Quite, ma'am." I always tried to be as respectful as I could around Mrs. River. She, after all, might make the choice as to who her daughter would marry…

Yeah, like she was going to choose a scoundrel. I pushed the thought away.

"My daughter doesn't drink, does she?"

The question came from Mrs. River's mouth like a cloud from a blue sky- unexpected. I put down my mug and swallowed the tea, then opened my mouth and began to speak.

"Here's my problem, ma'am. You claim you don't care for your daughter anymore. You claim you don't love her, that she could go to hell for all you cared, and I believe Mr. River even said that he disowned her. And yet, you check on her constantly. You want to know if she's drinking- she doesn't touch alcohol, by the way- you want to know what her romantic life is like- she doesn't have one- and you want to know if she'll come back- which she won't. You know what that reminds me of, ma'am? The government."

Mrs. River choked on her tea. "Excuse me, Jack Sparrow?"

"The government doesn't care about the people. They just want to make sure they're obeying the laws," I explained.

Mrs. River was speechless. I sat back and waited for her reaction.

"I really don't care about her. I just want her to know that she has to do something respectful with her life. A housewife, perhaps? Or a sewer?" Mrs. River shrugged.

I stifled a smirk as I pictured Sade hanging up laundry. "Ma'am… you don't know Sade very well, do you?"

"No, why?"

"You've got her personality completely wrong." I stopped trying to stifle the smile and grinned.  
Mrs. River smiled slightly at me. I noticed her eyes full of tears.

"Tell me everything, dear lady," I ordered her.

"I remember what Sade was like before she was kidnapped." She began without hesitation, as if she had been holding it in for too long and was happy to confess. "She used to say that something was missing. She would cry every day because something was wrong. I asked her what it was. She told me she wasn't sure.

"Her friend Karissa began to grow closer to her. They were walking home from school when that… that scoundrel kidnapped her." Here, her voice shook with emotion. "I was shocked when I learned that she had escaped, but hadn't come back to us! I remember Mr. River telling the Navy to look for her and Karissa, and I remember Karissa's family, the Normans, crying… it was awful. So my husband and I took the search into our own hands, and here we are."

She bit her lip and toyed with her long hair, just like Sade. I felt something warm inside me.

"Ma'am, Sade belongs here now," I said gently. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth. She's free now, and I doubt she ever belonged where you come from. I'm sorry."

She stood up, breathless. "Very well… Jack Sparrow. Are you feeling better?"

"Quite a bit. Thank you. Good night." I pressed my hands together, gave her a little bow, and left. As I departed, I noticed Mrs. River shaking her head and muttering, "Something else, that lad…"

Smiling to myself, I hurried off to see Sade, Karissa, and any others I might come across.

Sade, Karissa, and Linda were leaning against the ship's rail, laughing and talking. Karissa had an unopened bottle of rum in her hand, and I assumed she had swiped it from one of my crew members to keep them from the drink. Her scheme, however, had not worked, as illustrated by the drunk men (and women!) dancing around by the light of the moon.

I hung back and watched the three girls. Karissa's brown hair and dark eyes shone. Linda's long, dark hair and dark brown eyes seemed to glow with happiness. I couldn't blame her, really. Her good fortune was remarkable; one would think it had been planned beforehand.

Sade glanced up from her companions to survey her ship, and by the doubtful expression in her hazel eyes, I could tell she was not happy with the drunk men. But she rolled her eyes and returned to the other side of her ship, which she took in, pride reflecting in her eyes. Her blonde hair blew in the soft wind.

"Let us have music!" She announced, standing up. "Can anyone sing? Play an instrument?"

"You know I can play the flute, Sade," said Karissa eagerly to her best friend.

"And I can sing, a little," Linda added.

I stepped up, calling the captain's attention to me. "My crew mate Steve can play the drums."

Steve grinned and shot Sade a wink. "At your service, m'lady."

"Well! That works out!" Sade smiled, pleased. "I must say I've never heard flute, drum, and voice before, but it might be quite pleasant, for all I know!"

"Ooh! There can be dancing, too!" called out Indira.

There was a call of agreement to this, and Sade nodded her approval. "Why not? But don't expect me to participate!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, love," I said, smirking suggestively.

She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, carry on!"

Karissa, Linda, and Steve all huddled together, planning what song to do. When they finally decided, Karissa ran off to get her flute, Steve ran off to get his African drum, and Linda took her place at the front of the ship, smiling nervously at the crew. Sade sat beside Linda, letting her leg dangle lazily down off the platform. It was obvious she was planning on remaining there, and anyone who wanted to dance with her could forget about it.

Well, I wasn't going to. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.

Karissa appeared with her flute and took her place next to Linda, and Steve sat near Sade with his drum.

Karissa began first. Hers was a haunting melody, with a beautiful ring to it. I felt a shiver go down my back, and I noticed Sade close her eyes.

"I should have volunteered to play the Spanish guitar," I whispered to a slightly drunk Gibbs, who had just made his way over to me.

"That does make her go wild, doesn't it, Cap'n?"

"Of course, that wouldn't leave the respectable captain open for dancing," I added, grinning.

"Ah," said Gibbs, grinning as well.

The drums began, and Linda opened her mouth. Her voice sounded like clear crystal, beautiful and flawless.

_I know I can't take one more step towards you_

_'Cause all that's waiting is regret_

_Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore_

_You lost the love I loved the most_

_I learned to live half alone_

_And now you want me one more time_

From there, she broke into Sade's favorite song. You know, the one about the jar of hearts that's annoyed me half to death? That one. I rolled my eyes. Maybe the next song would be good.

But you had to marvel at Linda's voice. It truly was beautiful, obviously a talent of hers. Sade relaxed against the ship's wooden mast, drawn in by the beauty of the music. I tapped my foot, waiting, waiting, waiting…

Karissa, Linda, and Steve got together again and decided the next one. I knew right away that it would work.

_Never made it as a wise man_

_Couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing_

I pushed my way through the crowd of dancers to the front, where Sade was resting against her beloved ship. "May I have this dance?" I asked, bowing and kissing her hand.

_Tired of living like a blind man_

_Sick of sight without a sense of feeling_

"I… I suppose," she said hesitantly, biting her lip so hard that a drop of blood appeared.

I led her toward the 'dance floor.'

_And this is how you remind me_

_This is how you remind _

_Of what I really am_

_This is how you remind me _

_Of what I really am_

I wrapped my arms around her slim frame. We had hugged before, but never like this. Sade had never danced before, I could tell. She gave me a questioning glance, asking me silently where to place her hands on my body.

"One on my shoulder," I whispered.

She obeyed.

"The other draped loosely across my back," I instructed her.

Her breath caught in her throat as we assumed the correct position.

_It's not like you to say sorry_

I swung her gently around, letting her see that I was leading. She nodded.

_I was working on a different story_

_This time I'm mistaken_

_For handing you a heart worth breaking_

She smiled at me. "I've… never… you know, done this before."

"I can tell," I said teasingly. She was stumbling over my feet quite a lot. "We need to get you some practice."

"Linda's a good singer, don't you think?" I swung her around again, and this time she almost got the footwork right.

"She's amazing," I agreed.

_And I've been wrong, I've been down_

_Into the bottom of every bottle_

_These five words in my head_

"So what led you to ask me to do this?" Sade gestured to the rest of the ship, which was covered with couples dancing… including Mr. and Mrs. River!

"It seemed like a good night for it," I replied calmly.

"It is," she agreed, smiling out at the full moon. "I've never felt like… this…"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like I could take on Davy Jones… I feel like I could take on anybody… I feel like I could fly!"

So did I.

_Scream are we having fun yet?_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no._

"Maybe it's because this thing is too slow," said Sade, suddenly looking at the dance floor with distaste in her eyes.

"I'll teach you a fast dance tomorrow," I promised her. "You'll love it."

"Jack… I think I've got the footwork down."

"Yes. You're doing great, love. Now feel the beat. Feel the beat."

"What's that even supposed to mean?"

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no._

_It's not like you didn't know that_

_I said I love you and I swear I still do._

_And it must have been so bad_

_Cause living with me must have damn near killed you_

_And this is how you remind me_

Sade bit her lip and smiled happily. "This is fun. Well… more fun than I thought it would be, anyway."

"I told you you'd like it. And you would never listen to me. Who knows, maybe it's the same thing with spin the bottle?" I glanced at her hopefully.

She shook her head firmly. "Sorry, Jackie." She ruffled my coat again.

She only does that when she's amused by me, or proud of me. "C'mon, love. It won't be that bad."

"Jack, I'm not going to kiss you." All amusement had melted from her tone.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, love."

_Of what I really am_

_This is how you remind me_

_Of what I really am_

_It's not like you to say sorry_

_I was working on a different story_

_And this time I'm mistaken_

We didn't talk for the rest of the song. Just Linda's beautiful voice, Karissa's flute, and Steve's drum.

You know, the Caribbean is full of monsters and curses. But that night, holding Sade in my arms, was the most magical experience I've ever had.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello, everyone! Sorry it's been awhile; my computer broke and I had to get a new one. Lindam2254, as always, thanks for your reviews and support!

**Disclaimer: sadly, I still don't own POTC.**

Chapter Five

Mr. River's Family

The next morning, the breakfast table was silent. Sade, Karissa, and Gibbs were already there, but none of them said a word. They barely moved once in a while, one of them would take a sip of tea or something, and the other two would glance in his or her direction for a second or two.

When I sat down, nobody said 'good morning.' Nobody even nodded to acknowledge my presence.

"So, mates, what seems to be the problem? Nothing Captain Jack Sparrow can't fix, I'll bet!" I said cheerily. Sade, Karissa, and Gibbs all sent me sullen looks.

"It's nothing Captain Sade River and her trusty first mate Karissa Norman can't fix, either," she said icily.

When Sade turned to survey the sea before us, Karissa sent me a small smile, apologizing for her captain's behavior. I wondered absent-mindedly how many times she had had to do that before, then cleared my head.

"At least tell me what's wrong," I pressed.

"And tell me, too," Gibbs added.

I stared at him. "If you didn't know, then why were YOU angry?"

"Because they wouldn't tell me," he explained logically with a trace of a grin on his face, eyes twinkling.

"It's not really a problem," Sade said, biting her lip. "It's a challenge we must find a way to overcome."

"Yeah cause that's real different," Karissa said boldly. Sade glared at her first mate, who quickly fell silent.

"What is said challenge?" I asked her. "Surely it can't be anything too bad…"

"The Navy found out you're on my ship. So now they're after the _Ocean Pearl._ Any more of your idiotic questions?" she shot back. Her morning biscuit remained untouched. Karissa was looking longingly at hers, but Sade's temporary fasting seemed to have caused her to lose her own appetite.

"How do you know? Here on the high seas, information seems to get around quite sluggishly," I commented.

"Linda told me," Sade said shortly. "Turns out, she knows more about us than we do."

"Lucky we found her, huh? Now we won't have to worry about surprise attacks," Karissa piped up, trying to be as optimistic as possible.

"We're going to have to take down the outcast flag," Sade sighed. Then she stood up and addressed her crew. "Take the colors down! Put up fresh ones!"

"We need a British flag," Karissa said. "Britain seems to be on good terms with everyone these days."

"Back at Tortuga, there's a seamstress who makes flags like that just for this purpose," I began, but Sade held up a hand to stop me.

"We don't need one of those. We have one right on board this very ship." She nodded in the direction of her mother's cabin.

"Ohhh," Karissa said.

"Ohhh," Gibbs echoed. "Wait, what's the problem again?" He hadn't been paying attention, too content with the fact that Sade was finally divulging the trouble to listen too closely.

As the crew worked on taking the flag down, Sade turned to me. "You're on better terms with me mother than I am," she said. "I'd prefer if you told her."

"Why can't you?"

"Because I despise her," was the captain's simple answer. She smiled at me. "I don't know how you did it, but you're on her good side all of a sudden. What exactly were your tactics?"

"My charisma is all I need," I responded smugly. Sade rolled her eyes and ruffled my coat.

"Give her my love, will you?" she said sarcastically.

"Oh, don't worry," I said, letting sarcasm tinge my tone as well.

I hurried to the cabin and knocked.

No one answered.

I knocked again.

"Oh, hello, Mister Sparrow."

I turned around. Mrs. and Mr. River were standing behind me. "We went for a walk," Mrs. River explained with a smile. Mr. River eyed me, as if saying : _I don't know how you got on my wife's good side, but you'll never get anywhere near mine. Stay away from my daughter!_

"Hello, ma'am," I said, sweeping a deep bow. "And sir," I added, tipping my hat.

"Hello, Jack," said Mrs. River.

"Hmmph," muttered Mr. River in greeting.

"I have a request," I said, turning to Mrs. River. "Perhaps we could converse better if we talked inside?"

"Of course," said Mrs. River warmly.

"Perhaps," said Mr. River coldly. Leaving me wondering if that saying "opposites attract" really is true.

"We've run into a spot of trouble," I explained, pulling up a chair for her as if we were in my cabin instead of hers. "We require your assistance."

"What can my wife possibly do to help our daughter?" asked Mr. River then added with a sneer, "Miss Independent."

"Please, sir, take the time to consider your first question. 'What can my wife do to help our daughter?' Well, hm, let's contemplate this for a minute. What CAN your wife do to help your daughter?"

The couple paused and glanced at each other grimly.

"I disowned her," said Mr. River firmly.

"Then I consider it MY job to help her, sir. Truth be told, I do believe I'd die for her. So, let's go over this, shall we?" I settled back in my seat. "I'm allowed to do anything I want with her. Dance with her, drink with her, do _anything_." I smirked. "This deal seems to work out in my favor."

Mrs. River put her head in her hands and leaned down onto the table. I don't know whether she was crying or not, but she didn't look happy, that's for sure. Mr. River tried to keep his gaze emotionless, but even his eyes were welling with tears. I had hit the jackpot.

"When I started this family, I had no idea it would fall apart," he said softly to himself, glancing at his wife (whose shoulders were now shaking with sobs). He then glanced toward the door, where our very own darling Sade was yelling out commands. "She's more trouble than she's worth," he said with an astounding amount of finality in his tone. "Honey, we're leaving our daughter's pirate ship."

For some reason this sentence made me want to laugh, but I restrained it as Mr. River got up and began packing his bags.

"But do you really believe that?" I asked softly.

"I SAY WHAT I MEAN!" he screamed, which made Mrs. River sob harder, and through the wooden planks that separated us from the deck I could hear Sade falter in her orders, but was quick to recover.

I raised both my eyebrows and hands in defeat. "Alright, then."

He glared at me, then turned around again. Mrs. River finally emerged from the cradle she had made with her arms, and gave me a weak smile.

"I'm not going," she said to her husband.

He stopped what he was doing and stared at her, dumbfounded.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm not going."

"Why not?" he roared. "What on Earth could possibly make you want to stay here? What is wrong with you, woman?!"

"Nothing is wrong with me," Mrs. River said matter-of-factly. "I want to stay behind to help Mr. Sparrow protect our daughter. Is that such a sin?"

"I can not leave you behind on a _pirate ship_!" exploded Mr. River, waving his arms around to emphasize his last two words.

"So stay," said Mrs. River. "I want to find out more about this prophecy. You have to admit that last night was fun."

"Do you see a proper young lady or gentleman in this place?" Mr. River cross-examined her.

She turned to me, giving me another weak smile. "Yes. He's standing right here."

Mr. River rolled his eyes. "Well, thank you, darling, but like I said…"

"Honey! I didn't mean you!" Mrs. River laughed through her tears. "I meant Mr. Sparrow."

Mr. River turned to survey me, and gave me a good once-over. "Darling. He. Is. A. Pirate. A _pirate_! I say abandon our useless, unladylike daughter, and be on our merry way!"

"Do you really want to do that?" I asked quietly.

He pretended not to hear me. "I can not let my family fall apart even more. I will stay with you, dear, until you find your common sense!"

And with that he stormed out of the cabin, leaving Mrs. River and I.

"Ma'am, no one's ever called me a gentleman before," I said, pleased.

"There's more to being a gentleman than fancy clothes and white wigs," she said, sighing and shaking her beautiful head. "People need to learn what's important, Jack Sparrow. My daughter in particular."

"Your daughter is probably the person who cares about her appearance the least on this ship," I corrected politely, reaching for the tea kettle.

"True. But she still needs to realize she can't waste her life on this ship. Sooner or later, she's going to have to settle down. Mark my words." Mrs. River sounded so convinced of this statement that I had to resist throwing my head back and laughing.

"If I may be so bold, I disagree, ma'am. Now, please, let us go over my request…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer- I do not own POTC, Captain Jack Sparrow, Gibbs, etc. I only own Captain Sade River, Karissa Norman, the plot, and Sade's crew. And, as always, a big thank you to Lindam2254, otherwise known as Linda!**

Chapter Six

Dancing Lessons, Warnings, and Memories

Mrs. River agreed quickly and went to work. As I left, she glanced up at me and said, "Jack? Do you honestly think Sade is more suited to this life than her life with us? Is she happier here?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "Sade treasures freedom, Mrs. River, and despises anyone who takes it away from her. She would have been miserable if she stayed."

Mrs. River thought for a moment, then nodded.

"But if you're so curious, ma'am, why don't you ask her yourself?" I asked.

"Because she hates me and I hate her," she said shortly.

"Well, that's a good reason, I suppose," I said, shrugging.

"It is, isn't it?" asked Mrs. River, rather pleased with herself. "Someday, Jack, if you ever have children, you'll understand. I hate Sade… but at the same time, I feel like I need to save her from herself. It's an odd feeling."

"I can only imagine, ma'am." I turned the knob, then glanced back at her and smirked. "I remember that as a child, I was quite disobedient."

"To tell you the truth, so was I," she laughed, and I grinned at her one last time before closing the door.

"Well?" Sade asked when I reappeared on deck.

"She'll be done in a couple of days," I reported.

"Good," said Sade, breathing a sigh of relief. "We need to fly some sort of colors. I think I might have an old Spanish flag somewhere, but I'll have to look."

"Would you have time this evening to learn faster paced dancing?" I asked her, raising my eyebrows.

"We don't have any music," she pointed out. "We couldn't ask Karissa, Linda, and Steve to do it again, could we?"

"Who says we need music?" I pulled her into the proper dancing position. "All you need tonight, dear Sade, is your body. With or without clothes," I added, at which she rolled her eyes.

"I'll meet you out here at midnight," she promised. "But only because last night was fun, and you claim fast dancing is even more fun than slow dancing."

And she left to join Barbossa at the wheel. "Oh, and Jackie, I need someone on the crow's nest!" she called behind her.

"I'm on it, love!" I told her. Fortunately, her crow's nest was low enough that I could participate in whatever conversation she and Barbossa were having.

"Hello, Hector," said Sade, leaning on the rail beside him.

"Hello, Sade," he returned, keeping one eye on her and the other on the sea.

"Well, this is an exciting conversation so far," I called down. Sade laughed at my comment, and Barbossa even showed the slightest trace of a grin.

"Well, nothing's really going on these days," Sade pointed out. "I mean, last week was a burst of excitement, but now… everything's kind of… dull. And what's freedom without an adventure?"

"I'm nostalgic for Tortuga," I murmured, closing my eyes.

Sade shot me a strange look. "Tortuga? Why?"

"I need some rum. I need a good sword fight. And I need a woman." I sighed, picturing all the good, drunken times I'd had at Tortuga. Before everything had gotten complicated. Before I had met Sade. Yet somehow, I didn't regret it.

"Aye, mate, I know the feeling." Barbossa sighed and closed his eyes as well. When I opened mine, Sade was looking at the two of us, horrified.

"These… women… do have… your… permission… right?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered firmly. "Believe it or not, love, I would never do anything without a woman's permission."

She then glanced at Barbossa, who was avoiding her eyes and humming a tune to himself.

"Right?" she repeated, her eyes burning a hole through him.

"Usually," he said gruffly. "Although there are times I've been so drunk that I can't even know what I'm doing."

Sade sighed. "So don't get drunk, if you know you can't control yourself!"

He let out a husky growl. Sade rolled her eyes and left.

And that was the last I saw of her until midnight. I had stayed out late, staring into the night sky, the stars glistening, reflecting upon the water. The moon shone stubbornly from behind the clouds, refusing to go away. I had climbed up to the crow's nest again, waiting for my co-captain.

It was then that I heard the creaking of our cabin door. Sade stepped hesitantly out. We were the only ones on deck. Well, there was Indira, but she was steering on the other side of the ship and probably didn't even see us. All was quiet.

Sade's long, golden lion's mane flowed out from behind her. As usual, she wore her black leather boots and was dressed like a male sailor, wearing pants and a baggy white shirt. Her tight black shirt and leather jacket had been carefully tucked away earlier that day; I remembered Sade putting her jacket on a hanger. She must have decided to do some dirtier work than usual. She always did whatever the crew had to do, but once in a while she took it upon herself to clean the crew's cabin. The girl kept their cabin pretty neat. The boys' cabin, however, was a different story.

Either way, here she was, and she walked towards me, her legs moving in long, confident strides. I climbed down from the crow's nest and came to the ground right in front of her. She smiled at me.

"Okay, love, you ready? You stand like you do when you're slow dancing, and…"

But she held a hand up, her hazel eyes growing serious.

"Jack. Dancing is not the only reason I called you here tonight."

Surprised, I stopped. Only to start right up again. "What do you mean? Are you hurt? Is the ship okay? Is Davy Jones anywhere in sight? Is there a mutiny taking place?"

She, once again, held up a pale hand to stop my constant stream of questions. "Jack. Please. Let me finish."

I shut my mouth.

"We need a talk, Jack. Captain to captain."

"Captain to captain," I repeated, wondering where she was going with this.

"Let me summarize all the important events of the last couple weeks. First, Barbossa came aboard, and we made a truce with him. Then, you got all funny and distracted because he was aboard. Next, you just _needed _to get some rum, and we had to go aboard at Port Royal, where we met Lord Beckett. Right after that, my parents joined us. Then, Beckett tried to attack us, I killed him, tried to commit suicide, but failed when you stopped me. Finally, I got control of myself, and my parents made an agreement with me to stay on the _Ocean Pearl_."

She ended her speech and glanced up at me to see my reaction. While she had been talking, I had taken a couple of steps backward and leaned on the rail, looking bored.

"And why are we sitting around speaking novels when we could be dancing?" I asked.

"Don't you see?" she cried. "_Nothing had been happening lately_! That means something big is coming, Jack, and I'd stake my life on that."

"Nonsense," I scoffed. "If something big was about to happen, we would have had some warning, right? Things can't just come flying out of the blue and strike you on the face."

Sade's eyes narrowed. "Jack Sparrow, I'd like you to think back to a very important day. Now, this day seemed just like any other, but it was destined to bring a lion and a pirate together. Now, close your eyes and think back. Did you have any warning?"

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander to the day she was speaking of.

* * *

_Tortuga echoed around me. Drunk sailors, scantily clad women, pirates talking about legends, curses, and monsters. I was in a bar, a bar I normally didn't go to because the bar maid was an ex of mine. But seeing as I had been trapped in Tortuga for days, nothing seemed to matter much anymore._

_One man! Just one lousy, bloody, rotten man short. I was one man short of being free of this place!_

_ "__Tell us about your ship, Jack," said one of the girls that surrounded me._

_ "__Oh, it's lovely, darlin'," I said nostalgically. "She's about the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen." I had decided against getting drunk, since Megan, the barmaid, had a bad enough opinion of me already._

_The bell by the door announcing an arrival jingled. I glanced towards it, and saw a blonde girl. She was a little younger than me by a year or so, with pretty, long, blonde hair and hazel eyes that darted around furiously. She was wearing pants- odd- and she had brought in a scent of the sea with her. Also odd. She wasn't the prettiest girl around, but she was intriguing. _

_ "__What an ugly girl," scoffed Valeria, a beautiful dark haired girl who loved to make other people feel bad. Truthfully, I hated her, but I was able to stand her because of her looks._

_ "__Why isn't she wearing a dress?" asked a redhead, horrified._

_ "__She smells like the sea," added another girl, sneering._

_It was a wonderful smell, one that I hadn't had the pleasure of encountering for days. I closed my eyes and inhaled it, smiling. "That, my loves, is the smell of life." _

_ "__Ah, c'mon, Jack, she's ugly. Pay her no heed." Valeria leaned in close to me, putting an arm around my shoulder. I resisted the urge to slap her._

_The girl hugged Megan. I tore my eyes from her and continued to tell the girls about my adventures. About five minutes later, I heard a voice cut through mine._

_ "__Excuse me?" it said._

_Valeria snickered in my ear. "Don't listen to the little weirdo." I pushed her off of me gently. We all turned our full attention to her._

_ "__I-I need to…" she stuttered. _

_ "__Of course you can join us, love," I told her, scooting away from Valeria, who closed the space quickly and hissed in my ear, "Ugly people are so _boring_, Jack!"_

_I ignored her._

_The girl got rather indignant. "No, I need to talk to you." Her eyebrows furrowed and her hazel eyes grew annoyed. Valeria, for no reason at all, let out a giggle._

_I gestured to myself. "Well? Talk."_

_ "__In private," the girl said, beginning to look very irritated now. Every girl except Valeria grew worried. Aforementioned female whispered, "No, Jack. You deserve better than that. I can get us a hotel room for tonight, if you want."_

_I ignored her again._

_I shook off all the girls clinging to me and gave her a questioning glance. "Who are you?"_

_ "__Captain Sade River, first female captain ever to set foot in Tortuga, captain of the most indestructible ship out there, the _Ocean Song_. I come strictly on business."_

_Valeria gasped. I felt my expression change. Captain Sade River. I remembered hearing of her from Gibbs. First female captain. Escaped from Barbossa. You have to respect that. _

_ "__Oh. You're the one who got kidnapped by Hector Barbossa and escaped," I clarified. The girls stared in wonder at her. I caught a glimpse of Valeria, who was somewhere in between shock and contempt._

_ "__Yeah, I guess I am. And I need to talk to you." Yikes, she was really annoyed now. Her arms were crossed, and her boot was tapping to an unheard rhythm on the dirty floor._

_I stood up. She took note of this and turned around, leading the way to one of the side rooms. Valeria gave me a look, and I glared at her. I was tired of her behavior._

_Once we were in, Sade shut the door behind us. She surveyed the room with some dissatisfaction. "What are these used for, anyway?" she muttered._

_I gave her a quick once-over. Mildly pretty. Mmm, nice figure. Yes, she was worth getting. "You want to find out, love?" I smirked in that way that had won me Valeria- of course, now I regret it, but still. This girl was no Valeria. She was brave, tall, strong, and obviously had been out to sea._

_She rolled her hazel eyes. "Anyway, I've come about your famous compass. I need to borrow it."_

_Even then, a plan was forming in my head. "Why?"_

_ "__That's kind of a secret." She bit her lip and fiddled with her hair. "I have some gold."_

_The candles that lit the room glinted off her hair, making it look like something that belonged in a treasure chest. "Yes, I'd say you do," I whispered to her, fingering it._

_She pulled away, making it clear she wasn't going to have any of that. "It's in my pocket," she explained, taking off her leather jacket and revealing a tight black shirt that showed off her curves. No wonder she wore that thing. No woman wearing tight clothing is safe in Tortuga. Actually, no woman is safe in Tortuga, period. _

_ "__Here it is," she said, taking the gold out. My plan became complete as I stared at the jewels before me._

_ "__I want a bit more than this, love," I said._

_ "__How much?" she asked without skipping a beat. "I've got tons of treasure- diamonds, gold, rubies, all that good stuff."_

_ "__I'm not interested in that." I closed her hand over the gold she was holding out. "I want something more."_

_ "__What? Rum, swords, a ship?"_

_ "__I've got all the rum in the world, a very good sword, and the very best ship in all the Caribbean. I want an adventure."_

_She paused. _

_ "__Freedom, love, is what life's all about. I've been here for a while because I'm running one short on my crew and nobody's volunteered. Count me in on your little journey, sail on my ship, and you can have that compass."_

_Sade's eyes grew wide. "Just one position open? So I'll have to leave my ship?"_

* * *

I opened my eyes and returned to the present. Sade was glancing at me expectantly. "Well? Did you?"

"Warnings? Ah, no, I don't believe so," I said, still a little shaken by the vivid flashback. "Oh, I had forgotten about Valeria. What an idiot that girl was! All looks and no brains!"

Sade stared at me for a moment.

"So you admit that brains are more important than looks?" she asked in a low voice.

I nodded. "Of course, love."

Lost for words, she paused for a minute, then gave me a tight, long hug. "You do have your moments," she whispered. Her lips hovered near my cheek- I think she was deciding whether to kiss me or not- but then she pulled back, and I felt myself grow disappointed.

"Come on, Jackie. We have to go back to our cabin. And don't forget what I said. Warnings, Jack. Don't be surprised if we don't get any before something crazy happens." She ruffled my coat and pulled me by my arm to the cabin.

The next morning, I found Karissa and Linda at the wheel. Linda was steering, and Karissa was around for company.

"Hey, Jack," the latter greeted me. Linda smiled and waved before devoting her attention to the wheel again.

"Have you had breakfast?" asked Karissa.

"Not yet. I'm not really in the mood," I explained.

"And I've been on steering duty since 5 AM," said Linda, yawning.

"You could've asked me," said Karissa. "I've had a good night's sleep every night for about a week now!"

"A rare thing, when you're on the sea," I remarked.

"You look tired." Karissa frowned at me. Linda turned to study me as well, and she nodded in agreement.

"Did you take over for Jack for steering duty?" Karissa asked her.

Linda shook her head. "I took over for Indira."

Karissa studied me. "Why are you tired then?"

"Karissa!" came a man's voice. Karissa looked scared. Linda rolled her eyes and turned to glare at the direction it was coming from.

"What do you want, Mr. River?" asked Karissa tiredly.

"I wish to again question the state of your clothes." Sade's father stopped in front of the first mate. "You're wearing pants, not a dress…"

"Do you see a single woman with a dress on aboard this thing?" asked Karissa. (Linda had changed out of her dress into sailor's clothes.)

"Your shirt is stained and dirty…"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And you're working aboard a pirate ship!"

"I don't know if I would call this a pirate ship," intervened Linda. "You see, Jack here is a pirate and Sade's not, so…"

"Silence!" Mr. River cut her off. Linda returned to steering, offended. He was about to go on, but I stopped him.

"Sir, please leave us this instant," I said, putting one hand on Karissa's shoulder and the other on Linda's. "These girls are perfectly happy doing what they're doing. Need they do much more?" My voice took on a firm tone it almost never took, and Karissa glanced up at me, surprised, then smiled. Linda kept steering, her eyes staring stonily forward, but when Mr. River wasn't looking, she shot me a thankful look.

"You have no right," I continued. "To tyrannize your daughter's- and my- ship like this! If you don't stop, I'll be requesting that you leave the _Ocean Pearl _for good. Now please leave us."

Mr. River glared at me for a minute, gave Karissa one last look of distaste, and went back to his cabin.

Nettle, who was in the crow's nest, had been hiding from his sight. "Can I come out now?" she called down, her long black hair the only thing visible.

"You're fine, love," I confirmed, and she promptly stood up, gave me a salute, and continued her watch.

"We need to do something," Karissa snarled.

"Aye, love, but the question is, what action to take." I paused and thought.

"Maybe we could…" Linda shook her head. "No. Or maybe…" she shook her head again. "Sorry, Cap'n, but the only way out of this I see is to drop him off back home."

"After Mrs. River finishes the flag," Karissa added. The two girls stared at me as I considered their idea.

Finally, I shrugged. "We have to pay Mrs. River for the flag. Other than that, I don't see any other reason to keep them here." Truthfully, I was sad to see Mrs. River go. She had helped me figure out a couple of things about my life.

"Right, that's settle then," said Karissa bravely. "Who wants to tell him?"

Linda took her hands off the wheel and held them up, as if to say, _No way! Not me!_ I took a step back. Nettle hid in the crow's nest again.

Karissa looked around at the three of us. "Seriously? He hates me the most, you know."

"I think it should be the two captains and the two first mates," piped up Nettle.

"Good idea," said Linda, just as Karissa and I chimed in with, "Bad idea!"

"I suppose I have to run this by Sade," I said, gesturing towards our cabin.

"She'll be more than happy to have her parents off the ship. She hates them," said Linda.

"How do you know?" asked Karissa, surprised.

Linda rolled her eyes. "Okay, number one, common sense. I mean, duh, who could take a liking to _him_?" She nodded in the direction Mr. River had left. "Second of all, back home in Finland, you'd be surprised at how much information one can dig up if she tries."

Karissa, Linda, and Nettle all began to talk about various things, and I quietly slipped away. I had found that yes, I was indeed in the mood for breakfast.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello, everyone! Here's the next chapter! Please leave a review if you can! By the way, if you like Kingdom of Heaven, make sure to check out Lindam2254's new story, featuring my dog!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything you've seen in the POTC movies. **

Chapter Seven

Mr. River, Davy Jones, and the Navy

I was sitting at the table gulping down one of Mrs. River's warm biscuits at the breakfast table when Barbossa came onto deck.

"Good morning, Jack."

"Hector!" I smiled brightly and clapped him on the back. "How are ye, mate?"

He gave me a look. "Whenever you get like this, you want something."

"Rubbish. Say, Hector, mind doing an old shipmate a favor?"

"Told you," Barbossa muttered under his breath to no one in particular. "What do you want, Sparrow?" he asked louder.

"I want you to tell Mr. River that he and his wife need to leave the ship." I stated it like I had just told him that I wanted him to go bring me a glass of water.

He stared at me. "Ye really are crazy, Jack. Are you tryin' t' kill me?"

"Is who trying to kill who?" came a wary female voice. Barbossa and I had been leaning toward each other speaking in low voices ever since I had told him my request, and it was obvious we were having a secret discussion.

I beckoned her closer. She leaned in towards us. I whispered in her ear what Karissa, Linda, Nettle and I had decided. She nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Hector," she said. "It's incredibly dangerous. But it's worth a shot, eh, boys?"

Barbossa nodded, but I started, "Your mother…"

"My mother!" Exasperated, Sade threw her hands up in the air. "My mother, my mother, my mother! All you ever talk about is _my mother_!"

I glanced at Barbossa to see if this was true. He raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Our little raging feminist has a point, Jack."

"I was about to say she was making good progress on the flag," I said, offended by Sade's comments.

Sade sighed and headed for the steering wheel. Barbossa and I, having nothing better to do, followed.

Karissa was still at the wheel, but Linda had gone back to the girls' cabin to get some sleep. She looked up and smiled when she saw us all approaching. "Well, this is quite the party. Sade, Jack and Hector."

We heard someone come up from below decks and turned to see Linda. "Sorry, but I just thought of something."

"If it's something to get Mr. River off this ship, I'm more than willin' t' listen," sighed Barbossa, leaning against the ship's rail.

"Did someone just say 'Mr. River off this ship?'" we heard. The five of us- Sade, Hector, Karissa, Linda, and I- turned to see Dante, one of my crew members.

"Yes," Karissa answered in a tone that made it clear he was not wanted in this conversation. "But don't get your hopes up."

He sighed and walked away. When he was out of earshot, I gestured toward him.

"You see? Nothing good ever comes out of a strict man aboard a pirate ship. Everyone despises Mr. River- that includes me and excludes his wife." I glanced toward my companions.

"We know, Jack! We just don't know what to do about it." Linda sighed. "Believe me, if I had thought of something to get rid of him, I would have carried it out already."

"You just claimed you have some sort of plan," I replied. "If it's not to get rid of that bloody waste of space, then what is it for?"

Linda shook her head. "It's not a plan." She motioned for the four of us to come in closer, which we did. Linda opened her mouth to talk again, but was interrupted by Karissa.

"Look, if we're going to have a conference, it should be in the captains' cabin. Hector, why don't you tell Dante to come back and take a turn at the wheel? The rest of us will go to Sade's and Jack's cabin."

"Fair enough," shrugged Barbossa. "I'll meet ye there in a few minutes." He hurried across the ship to retrieve Dante.

Meanwhile, Sade, Karissa, Linda and I all sat down at the mahogany table in Sade's and my cabin.

Linda spoke first. "It's rather an urgent matter, Cap'n, which is why…" she paused when Sade got up and went over to her bedside table, rummaging around noisily in a drawer. "What are you doing?"

"Dried pineapple," answered Karissa without looking. Sometimes I think those girls know each other too well. "You say it's urgent?"

I felt a shiver go up my spine as I remembered Sade's words- _Don't be surprised if there's no warning_. I could feel her eyes on the back of my neck, sending me an I-told-you-so look.

"It can't be too urgent," I said in a comforting tone to both Karissa and Linda. "The Navy's after us, yes. Davy Jones hasn't showed up in a while, yes. But at least neither of them are attacking right this very moment."

At that, both Karissa and Linda whirled around to look out the window, as if expecting to hear cannon fire. As Sade walked past me to return to her seat, she jabbed me with her elbow- hard.

Sade offered the bag around to everyone (we all shook our heads) before she spoke. "Tell us, Linda."

Linda bit her lip and hesitated, then finally opened her mouth- when suddenly the door to the cabin came crashing open. Sade gasped. Karissa yelped. Linda jumped. I drew my sword.

Hector Barbossa stood before us, looking rather amused by our reactions. "Surely ye can't be that scared of a humble pirate like me, mates!"

Karissa blushed. "Oh- I- um- thought I saw a spider."

"Of course you did," I said, smirking.

"I did!" cried Karissa, blushing deeper.

"It's alright, m'dear, don't let ol' Hector scare ye." Barbossa placed a hand on Karissa's shoulder. "What have I missed?"

"Not much," I answered truthfully.

"Typical." Barbossa sat between Sade and Karissa. "Ye landlubbers can't handle a good session of planning without me, can you? Now, what seems to ail ye?" he added, addressing Linda.

"For your information, she was about to tell us afore you entered the room," I told him, inspecting my fingernails. "And scared the lasses half t' death."

"I apologize," said Hector in mock politeness, standing up a bowing in a gentlemanly manner.

Linda rolled her eyes and tugged on Barbossa's sleeve, hinting for him to sit. "We weren't scared. We were startled. Besides, Jack's the one who actually got out a weapon," she pointed out, nodding to my sword, which was still sitting on the table before us.

"Never mind that." Karissa waved a hand impatiently. "Linda! Before anyone else can intervene, please tell us!"

"Can someone get me a rum?" I intervened.

"Can somebody get me a sword?" replied Karissa swiftly, glaring at me.

Sade giggled at her friends retort. "While we're at it, how about some rope for a gag?"

"Gags are worse than being tied up," I calculated, wincing. "I speak from experience."

"Can I talk now?" Linda asked, rolling her eyes. Everyone nodded vigorously and glared at whoever they thought was being the loudest. Sade glared at me. Karissa glared at Hector. Hector and I glared at each other.

"I remember growing up in Finland with tales about Davy Jones and the _Flying Dutchman_. I remember in particular one song that parents used to sing for their children." Linda straightened and cleared her throat.

_Come all ye sailors, beware, beware!  
Be wary at sea, for fate finds ye there._

_Legends and lore,_

_Cannot heal the sores_

_Davy Jones hast dealt out._

_He'll find ye somehow, _

_Hunt ye down,_

_Till dawn and the hours beyond._

It was a beautiful song, and Linda's voice was pretty as usual, but it gave everyone the shivers. "Shall I go on?" she asked. We all shook our heads no.

Sade's face was pale. "Cheerful! This was a children's song? I've seen barroom brawls in Tortuga more kid-friendly."

"Cheery indeed," agreed Barbossa. "Now get to the point, unless ye called us all here to sing sea shanties."

Karissa held up a hand. "Wait! I've heard that song before! My father's a merchant sailor, and when he came back from Finland he hummed it to himself all the time."

"Of course, we all needed to know that," quipped Barbossa, rolling his eyes. "Now is there a point to this or are we going to sit around telling ghost stories?"

"It's not my fault everyone's interrupting!" Linda defended herself. "Anyway, just before I left on my brother's ship, my father told me that the Navy around here had just gotten a new ship. Her name is the _Flying Dutchman_. He didn't elaborate, even when I asked."

"It might not be the same _Flying Dutchman_," Karissa reasoned, but I could see worry in her dark brown eyes.

"But if it is, then it would certainly explain why the Navy is after us all of a sudden," Sade said darkly. She didn't look surprised, only grim.

"It makes a bit of sense," agreed Hector, staring down at the apple in his hands. "Problem is, it could be some other ship."

"We can only hope," Karissa murmured.

Linda shrugged. "I guess we need to find out."

Barbossa shook his head. "The last time we made a little endeavor into Port Royal, it didn't go so well, now did it? We have to keep moving. As long as we keep a steady pace, we'll be fine."

"Don't be so sure of that," I muttered. "Maybe we should put only one person aboard to try and find out. Someone who hasn't had a brush with the Navy before."

Linda shook her head. "I wish I could help, but they'd recognize me. My father is rich, remember?"

"How about Nettle?" I suggested to Sade. "She and I were talking one time, and she told me that before you came, she spent her whole life in Tortuga. She's never seen a Navy ship in her life, except the time Beckett attacked. But that doesn't count. And while we're at it, I could use some more rum. And maybe a new sword."

Sade bit her lip. "I don't like this idea. Port Royal… to tell you the truth, I never want to see that place again. Never, ye hear?"

"What else can we do?" Karissa pointed out. "We need to find out what this is all about. Davy Jones could have teamed up with the Navy! Doesn't that send a shudder through your whole body?"

"Sade is right," Hector said. "We can't let them take us. We're all wanted criminals now, d'ye realize that? Wanted criminals! Every last one of us! And if Sade fails, she and I both get sent to the _Flying Dutchman _for eternity! Don't be forgettin' that I was born on Friday the thirteenth too."

"We haven't forgotten," I said. "It doesn't make sense to sit here and think when we _can't _think. I say we vote. But not right now. Tomorrow, the five of us will meet here again, at midnight, when you've had a bit of time to think.

"Good idea," Karissa agreed, nodding. "Come prepared with your opinions, and we'll see each other again tomorrow night!"

So everyone except Sade and I departed the cabin. The girl heaved a sigh and sat down on her bed.

"This is bad, Jackie. Davy Jones with the Navy? No, I take that back: this is awful! How on Earth are we going to sneak onto Port Royal? We couldn't! They'd recognize my ship, they'd recognize you, they'd recognize me, they'd recognize Hector… Oh, God. Oh, God." Sade played with her lion's mane of hair.

"Calm down," I said in what I hope was a calming voice. "We'll get out of this, love. I promise."

Sade glanced up at me through the tears in her eyes. "How much is a pirate's promise worth, Jack?" she asked weakly, before she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and exited.


End file.
